tall order
A big job; a difficult challenge.
[W]e must come, consequently, to the impressive conclusion that to live on potatoes alone[…], a man must eat at least 30 lbs. of potato a day—which would be rather a tall order, ev
tall
UK /tɔːl/ US /tɔl/
adj 5noun 3
Collocations
4(adj.)
VERBS
be, look, seem | become, get, grow
ADV
exceptionally, extremely, unusually, very
fairly, quite, rather
My older brother is fairly tall, but he's still shorter than our father.
Definitions
adj
1
Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
Being tall is an advantage in basketball.
Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
2
Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent.
Tall trees, at least about 30m high.
To him it seemed that the Bornean rainforests, the tallest on Earth, were places that had: 'remained untouched and unchanged since remote geological epochs[.]'
3
Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.
"That's tall talk." "Not an inch taller than the truth."
4
Smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces (~ 230 ml).
5
Obsequious; obedient.
noun
1
Someone or something that is tall.
But in the second generation of hybrids (from seed of the first) talls and dwarfs were both present, and in the proportion of twelve talls to four dwarfs.
The industries that best accommodate talls are those that have faced personal injury lawsuits.
2
A clothing size for taller people.
Do you have this in a tall?
3
A tall serving of a drink, especially one from Starbucks, which contains 12 ounces.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
tall tale
A tale or story which is fantastic and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a lie, an untruth.
He returned on Monday with a tall tale about a 100-pound fish he had caught.
tall story
Synonym of tall tale (“a tale or story which is fantastic and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a lie, an untruth”).
Mary Beard, formerly professor of classics at Cambridge University, directed followers on X to her latest book, titled Emperor of Rome, which opens with a lengthy discussion of the
tall in the saddle
Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.
He is tall in the saddle (6 ft. 2 in.) and so adamantine that Jennifer Jones broke her hand slapping his face.
ride tall in the saddle
To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.
Example Bank
601
Being tall is an advantage in basketball.
Wiktionary02
Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
Wiktionary03
He′d been packed in with all the other journos, standing out only in that he was taller than most and didn′t make as much noise.
Wiktionary04
But in the second generation of hybrids (from seed of the first) talls and dwarfs were both present, and in the proportion of twelve talls to four dwarfs.
Wiktionary05
The industries that best accommodate talls are those that have faced personal injury lawsuits.
Wiktionary06
Fremantle remains unsure about the status a pair of key talls ahead of a defining clash with Adelaide at Optus Stadium.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, tall is marked as obsolete, US. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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